Sunday, July 15, 2012

Selling Candy and Stealing Lotion

Days living on the street were not easy. I would collect my friends change that they would have from their lunch money until it got old asking people for quarters, dimes and nickels. I started saving as much money as I could and went shopping for candy bars at the bulk store.

I would buy king size variety candy pack and take it in bags to my classmates in school. I could make $100 by lunch time. I was making about a 93% profit on the candy. I was a great salesman. I could convince anyone that they wanted candy. That they needed candy. Candy would improve your test scores, and land you the hot cheerleader. My candy would give you a trustworthy glow that would appeal to parents and teachers resulting in leaving school early and staying out later at night. I was making bank!

Seeing the money pile up gave me a severe hunger for money. I liked it all from pennies to hundreds and everything in between. I find that I'd rather save my money...well kind of. I started stealing. I've always stolen, even as a kid. I always got in trouble for it. I learned my lesson and stopped before high school.

When I was 16 though I became a rebel. I had already been living on my own for 3 years so it wasn't any rebellion towards my parents. I was angry at the world and I felt like I had nothing to lose. Kyle was already gone and I felt I had nothing.

I started shopping at stores like Bath and Body Work and would steal bottles and bottles of their products. I'd take them back to school, and sell them out of my locker. Sometimes I would go back to the stores, since the shifts had most likely changed and there was a new worker behind the counter, I could steal more. I was greedy. Even though I was working 3 jobs, I wanted more money to get me off the street and into a home.

I eventually earned enough money to rent a room. It was $800 a month and I lived on my favorite president's street, Lincoln Ave. My landlord was nuts, she would smoke pot and get drunk at our house (she didn't reside with me) and paint the walls. My refrigerator was silver, the trim on the walls was blue stripes with red cherries. I had a self portrait of my landlord in the hallway made out of plaster that was stuck to the wall and painted. She used the same plaster idea in my bathroom and made planets and hands that went along the shower wall. She was crazy.

I was never caught stealing, and I eventually stopped once I found this room for rent. I kept moving around once I became of age, living like a nomad. I just went with it. Lived where I could when I could, made money when an opportunity arose, and always stayed flexible.

Looking back now, I can't believe that was who I was. I'm a mommy now. My days don't consist of stealing bottles of lotion but rather watching Winnie the Pooh over and over again. I guess I can say I made it through some crazy shit. I suppose considering the conditions it could have been worse. I know I'm a good mommy so I guess I ended up better than I thought.

Since I thought I'd be 6 feet under by now.

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